|
by Clement Clarke Moore
'Twas
the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by
the chimney with care, In hopes that ST. NICHOLAS
soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her 'kerchief,
and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When
out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see
what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore
open the shutters and threw up the sash. The
moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to
objects below, When, what
to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature
sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and
quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More
rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted,
and called them by name; "Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN! To the top of the porch! to
the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!" As dry leaves
that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the
sky, So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full
of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then,
in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing
of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and
was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He
was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were
all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And
he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His
eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks
were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His
droll little mouth was drawn up
like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as
white as the snow; The stump
of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the
smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little
round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly. He was
chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him,
in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave
me to know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went straight
to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk.
And
laying his finger aside of his nose,And giving a nod, up the chimney he
rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they
all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove
out of sight,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND
TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT."
|
